Overview
- Cathy McKee, 69, was arrested on Feb. 24 in Whiteville and charged with felony concealing the birth of a child.
- She was released after posting a $5,000 bond on Feb. 25, according to court records.
- Investigators worked with the North Carolina SBI and Texas-based Othram, which built a genomic profile from preserved tissue linking the remains to McKee.
- The case was formally reopened more than a year ago, and officials credit the original 1979 investigators for meticulous evidence preservation.
- Authorities have not disclosed the newborn’s cause of death, and charges reflect the statutes that applied in 1979.